[Xcal]

I was curious, for anyone in the pro market out there, how does a comic book penciler's salary compare to your average game production 2d artist? (concept artist, etc.)

Also, for you aspiring amateurs (myself included), which market would you prefer to work in, and why?

Xcal
http://artofsin.com

[Dakkan]

well, since i'm only 16, i've got a lot of time to plan and change my mind about what i plan.. but as of now, i want to stick to 2d digital art, but would want to learn the basics of 3d animation, so that i may have the requirements to start off in a computer gaming company. i'm thinking of starting freelance (my sister who's living in belgium sais she can hook me up with nightclubs so i can make flyers and shit), but would want to eventually get into matte painting (damn, it's gonna be hard), commercial illustration, etc... if i do manage to get myself in the computer gaming business, i might think of the possibilities from there, like trying to design games and stuff... but damn, as i said, im only 16, turing 17 in october, so i got time to plan. hopefully everything works out for me, and all u guys who are sorta new to digital art. all the best keep practicing, dreaming, and doing whatever is neccessary to become a pro... if u put the effort into it, it should be well worth the time/work/patience... (i hope, hehe)

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http://secret_island.tripod.com
icq: 15790343
email: [email protected]

[Dakkan]

oh yea, and as for the comics thingy, i read somewhere that a penciller gets aprox. 100-200 per page, and inker: 50-150, and digital colourer: around the same wage as penciller. this may be incorrect, but i'm kinda sure the figures are somewhat close.

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http://secret_island.tripod.com
icq: 15790343
email: [email protected]

[Jerrid]

Well, I used to be heavily into comic art. When I was younger, I wanted to draw comics for a living, but now that I am older, I am beginning to think about sallary...

I have put comics aside becase to be making $200 a page you have got to be GOOD. I mean, be working on an X-men title at Marvel and the book has to be selling. The amatuer comic pencillers make about $50-75 a page, and I have no clue about inkers.

I used to (and still am) into coloring comics and pinups and such. I flatted The Pitt for an awesome colorist named Ben Prenevost, I only did 2 (i think) pages, and I got about $50(canadian). I didn't ask Ben, but I think that a freelancing colorist can make a fair amount of money. Usually around $100 to $200 a page, and if you are a good colorist you can usually crank out 1-2pages a day, if it is not a part time job, and you work in a studio. Head to www.comiccolors.com and post a message in their message board, they will answer promtly.

Now I have put comics on the side a bit because I find that I play games way more then I read comics, and I really enjoy looking at game artwork more then comics, just because I think that the artists spend more time on their pieces. I can't say "Do this" or "do that". I can only say, do what you want to do. If you play games all day and love them, then see if you can't get into some aspect of creating them. If you read comics all the time and love them, then see if you can't get invlolved in making those. But I can say that the pay is more in games.

Hope this helps you out.

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Jerrid

[Dakkan]

i forgot to mention that my reason for getting into art was also becuase of comics(michael turner stuff), and i also wanted to be a penciller... but then i looked into in, and my interest in art grew into the field of digital art (there are so many more opportunities). anyway, that's about it...

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http://secret_island.tripod.com
icq: 15790343
email: [email protected]

[Xcal]

Thanks for your inputs, guys. I do think constantly about which way to direct my art. If I wanted to steer towards breaking into comics, I'd have to start storyboarding, sequences, etc. and build up a portfolio. On the other hand, if I wanted to steer towards game illustration, I'd imagine I'd have to construct my portfolio material differently, with less sequential art and more flashy, finished pieces, with elaborate backgrounds, etc.

The thing is I love storytelling, which steers me towards comic art. I am also pretty good with FLASH, although I haven't had time to finish a decent short yet. But as you all mention, I have conflicting feelings about the comparative pay in comics and the gaming industry, which keeps me reluctant to invest a lot of time into comic portfolio creation. Which brings me to another question:

In creating portfolio's for jobs in the gaming industry, what types of samples should you prepare? Should I bother with pencil sketches, or should all my samples be fully rendered, colored pieces with detailed backgrounds (no pinups)? I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what is the best way to prepare a portfolio?

Xcal http://artofsin.com

[Jerrid]

Portfolio...

Hmm, well the only portfolio that I really know how to put together would be a comic portfolio. If you want to put a comic portfolio together then this is what you need..

Pencilling: Full sequential pages, at least 3 pages in length. You must have more sequentials and less pinups, and I think you know why. No word bubbles at all, just the basics, that way the reviewer(s) can try and see the story you are trying to tell, and if they can't see what you are trying to draw through the panels, it is not a good page. You HAVE to be able to tell a story just by the pictures, if you can't, then no one will want you.

Colring: Pretty much the same as pencilling, it is just you have to show a lot of different styles you color in your portfolio. If your styles differ in each picture, that shows you havent fully got a grasp on coloring yet. Also, learn good and fast flatting techniques, it will help in the long run.

That is my $0.02.

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Jerrid

[Brain]

Pretty much like everyone else, I started out wanting to do comics and major cartoon animation. And I still wouldn't mind doing that. But the gaming industry is rather tempting. The course I plan to do next year, a Software Development Games course at QANTM, will gimme heaps of experience in all aspects of making computer games. Once the course is completed, I'll be able to do not only computer games, but fx for movies (something that really makes me drool), flight sims for major companies, medical software, amazing stuff. Going down a road of computer game development opens up more than just computer games. And if you live in Australia and want to do that kinda stuff, definately check out QANTM in Queensland ( http://www.qantm.com.au/ )

A portfolio for an artist, as I've come to learn, should be as deverse as you're capable. If you can pump out great sketches in pen & pencil, include some of your best work there. Paint? Same. CG? Same. Sculpture? Same. All these different areas really apply to each other, and the more experience you have in different fields, the more impressive you'll look to employers. Just make sure it's your best stuff, never apologise for something wrong in this picture or bad colouring in that one. If you aren't happy with it, don't put it in. Then run it by someone like an Art teacher so they can critque it; other opinions are good to an extent.

Hmm, prolly my longest post yet. Hope it was somewhat useful. @:-)

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Brain
http://brain.gamekey.com/

[grim reber]

I was going to pursue being a comic book artist. I actually had a portfolio into Variant and was talking to people there. I was going to wait to graduate college then go into the field, but then I found out how much they made. At the time I was making more as a phone analyst doing tech support. I believe salary wise to start out you would be between 25-35k depending where its at. Plus you would probably start as an inker or colorist before you got to be an actual penciller.

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{grim reber}
http://www.geocities.com/chapel_t9